Chapter 23: Strategy

For two days, Allen still continues to activate his Innocence while Alice is asleep, but fails as he is thrown off from the recoil of the rejection and hits against one of the pillars by his head.

"Owww..." Allen groans as he rubs his head from the pain. "... Still no-go..." The boy looks at his Innocence particles. "I can synchronize just fine, so why won't you turn back into a weapon!? HEY, INNOCENCE!"

'Even worse, it's starting to turn back into particles almost immediately. I can't even get it to form an arm-shaped weapon anymore.' Allen thought. 'Just when I can't be wasting time here... damn it! I have to hurry back to them with Alice.' The boy remembers the dream about Lenalee sitting on one of the fallen pillars crying. 'I can't get that dream about Alice out of my mind. I have to hurry...!' Allen buries his head with his hand.

Bak then enters the room with his folder and sees Allen sitting by the pillar. "Walker?" He questions and walks towards him.

"I'm not giving up! I'll activate once more!" Allen declares, immediately stands up accidentally knocking Bak down.

"BFUT!" Bak exclaims in pain.

"Ah? Huh?" Allen says and he turns and sees Bak is lying on the floor with his papers scatters on the floor. "Bak-san!"

"That really hurt!" Bak moans as he has a nose bleed.

"I'm sorry! I was thinking about something, so I didn't hear you come in, Bak-san."

"Take a break already, Walker! You haven't even slept for the past two days!"

"But… Ah." Allen notices the scattered papers that Bak was carrying and he starts to gather them. "I'm sorry Bak-san! I made a mess of your data files..." He apologizes but one look closer the papers are actually pictures of Lenalee.

"WAA–!" Bak screams and quickly grabs all the pictures from Allen's hand causing the boy to look at the Asain Branch chief and a blush appears on his face.

"I'm not a stalker..." Bak denies. "I am absolutely, positively NOT a stalker."

"Do you like Lenalee?" Allen innocently asks.

"UUGH..." Bak grunts and then hives appear all over on his face.

"BAK-SAN!?" Allen calls.

"DON'T LOOK! W-when the great me gets extremely agitated, I break out into hives! DON'T LOO–K!" Bak screams and he faints.

"Wait... Someone help!" Allen yells.

~Later~

Bak is lying on a futon bed while Won is cutting apple.

"The Equipment-type and Parasite-type activate differently?" Allen asks. "Is that possible?"

"Yes. It's something that is based on senses." Bak says. "The Anti-Akuma Weapon that Parasite-types have come from the Innocence that dwells within their body, correct?"

"Yes." Allen answers.

'I thought it was hives...' Allen thought.

"However, the conformers with the Equipment-type do not have the same physical connection with their Innocence. In addition, it is difficult for the Innocence in Equipment-type to be mastered. Even synchronized, the mighty strength of the Innocence is hard to keep in check. That is why we 'alter' the Innocence into Anti-Akuma Weapons." Bak continues. "The weapon form restrains the Innocence's power, and it enables the conformers the synchronize with it more easily. In this manner, Equipment-types are able to synchronize with a weapon they've created and activate. But the Parasite-types synchronize with the raw, unaltered form of Innocence. Excuse me fore saying this... but Parasite-type conformers are like weapons, restraining the power of the Innocence with their bodies. They are the Anti-Akuma Weapons."

"...I'm a weapon...?" Allen asks.

"I only said that to make easier for you to understand. You're definitely human... but for us, when we turned Innocence into Anti-Akuma Weapon... we began by first understanding that Innocence. By uncovering which shape, nature, and function would best suit its abilities... we develop a 'style' for it. It's possible that you still do not know your own Innocence very well. I've been thinking that the reason why you are unable to activate... is because you do not have a 'style' that matches your Innocence ability."

Bak starts to cough.

"Bak-sama hang in there!" Won says worrying.

'It's just hives... isn't it...?' Allen thought. "I... don't know my Innocence... huh?"

"Unfortunately time is precious, and you can't spend it leisurely trying to understand your Innocence." Bak informs. "We'll have to take drastic measures..."

Once Bak recovers from his Hives, he and Won leads Allen to the gate of the Branch Headquarter.

"This place... is where we were before, the room with the sealed door..." Allen says. "What will we be doing here?"

"You'll be fighting a serious battle." Bak replies. "Fou!"

Hearing her name called, sparks starts appear on the gate.

"Man, this is troublesome. It's not my job to be looking over brats, damn it." Fou says and comes out of the gate. "Baka Bak."

Allen is surprised that Fou appears on the gate.

"She isn't human," Bak explains. "She has a crystalline body fashioned from the 'Guardian Deity' my great-grandfather made."

"In other words, a warrior that protects this Branch." Fou adds. "I'm pretty strong, Walker."

When Fou is fully materialize, scythes replaces Fou's mittens and she quickly charges at Allen, who didn't see Fou coming at him until she gets near him. Fou stops when the blade of the scythe is at Allen's neck.

"Got your neck." Fou points out.

"...Tch!" Allen clicks his tongue.

Fou then smiles and she kick Allen by the stomach.

"Gah...!" Allen grunts and he hits the pillar behind him.

"HIIH!" Bak and Won screams while covering their eyes.

"Ow...!" Allen says as he slides down the pillar.

"Fight me seriously, you brat." Fou says. "Unless you're able to activate your Innocence... I'm really gonna kill you."

"T-t-the quickest way to knowing your Innocence is through combat!" Bak stutters. "People have been known to develop rapidly when faced with an impending crisis! When you're driven into a corner, a means of escape will appear before you someday or other!"

Allen then spits out the blood from his mouth.

"...That's what I thought. But I think you should stop now, Walker." Bak says. "This approach might be a bit dangerous after all!"

"I'll do it." Allen says as he wipes off the remaining blood from his mouth. "This 'escape when cornered' strategy may be a good idea!"

Allen smiles while looking at Fou.


Alice's Dream

Alice is now watching her little self standing at the lake with her eyes closed and arms out towards the water when a semi-sphere of water slowly rises off from the lake. She then squeezes her eyes tightly as the water stops rising and trembles before it breaks apart and falls back into the lake. The little Alice frowns at the results and sighs with her head down.

"Why can't I do this right…?" She questions herself.

"Onee-chan?" The little girl turns around to see another girl standing behind her. "Are you practicing again?"

"Yeah. But it was no good. Compared to the wind, water is hard to handle." Alice replies. "What about you?"

"I'm the same. The earth is easy to mold but fire is a little…"

"Looks like we both are on the same page I guess…"

Silence covers both girls as the wind blows through them for a moment and then the other girl changes the subject. "That's right, there were visitors came to the shrine today."

"Hmmm. How many?"

"Umm… Probably a few…?"

"You didn't see them for yourself, didn't you?" Alice questions, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"T-That's not true! I heard people talking to Mama at the entrance!"

"But it's not like you saw them, right?"

The girl can't say back and hangs her head with an embarrassing blush.

"You should hurry and get rid of that shyness of yours."

"I can't help it…" The girl pouts causing Alice to scratch her head.

"But while they stay for a while, you give snacks to them while they weren't looking. I like that side of your." Alice states causing the girl to look up and smiles.

"Yeah! Thanks, Onee-chan!"

'That girl is the one I keep seeing…' The present Alice thought looking at the other girl. 'Who knew that she's my sister… It's no wonder that she feels nostalgic.'


Roufa, Rikei, and Shifu are sneaking through the hallways of the Branch Headquarters to go to where Allen is.

"Is this all right?" Roufa asks. "He told us not to trespass here?"

"As long as he doesn't find out, we're fine! You want to see his Innocence too, don't you?" Rikei says. "Ah, what you really want to see is Walker, Roufa!"

"WHA-!" Loufa yells.

"Shh! Quiet!" Shifu tells them.

When they got near the gate, they see Allen and Fou fighting each other.

"They're really going all out." Rikei says.

As the three scientists' watch, Allen dodges every slices that Fou make and when Fou makes another slice, Allen flips up in the air to dodge. Then she spins around and kicks Allen before she charges at him.

"Damn... IT...!" Allen curses.

Allen then activates his Innocence to guard Fou's attack. "Innocence...!" But his weapon dissolves into particles again as Fou's scythe goes through. "...TCH!" Once Allen's weapon goes back into particles, Fou goes to Allen's neck and slices it, shocking the three scientists. However Allen's head is still attached. "Huh? It still... attached?"

Fou then yawns causing the boy to look at her. "Sorry. I'm so tired. I can't keep up my physical state anymore." She explains. "We've been fighting over ten hours, so I'm going to take a nap now. We'll continue after I wake up." Fou goes back to the gate as she yawns again.

"So if she wasn't sleepy, I would have lost my head...?" Allen thought and then collapses.

"WALKER-SAN!" Roufa calls.

"Ah, Roufa, you idiot!" Rikei yells.

When Roufa gets to Allen's body, Allen is sleeping, and Rikei and Shifu follows her.

"He's sleeping..." Roufa points out.

"Geez..." Rikei says.

"YOU GU–YS!" Bak yells, surprising the three of them since they didn't notice the surveillance golem there.

In Bak's office

"You numb skulls! I told you that place was off-limits! What are you doing?!" Bak scolds.

"S-sorry–!" Rikei apologizes.

"Forget it! Since you're already there, carry Walker to a bed! As a punishment, you'll be cleaning up the entire data storage room!" Bak orders the three scientist.

"E―--―H?!" They say.

Bak then turns his head to Won and orders, "Won, get the I.V. and bandages for his injuries."

"Yes sir!" Won replies and gets the supplies for Allen.

"What happened?" Komui asks at the other side of the line.

"Nothing! It's our business." Bak answers.

"How is Allen-kun doing?" Komui asks.

"He's doing the best he can… But he's still unable to activate." Bak watches Allen being carried off by Rikei and Roufa by Allen's side. "He'll need some more time."

The Black Order Headquarters; Komui's office

"I see." Komui says. "The boy can be quite brash, so look after his health for him, Bak-chan."

"Don't call me '-chan'." Bak says.

"Supervisor Komui!" Reever calls. "General Cloud and Sokaro have returned."

Komui looks at Reever.

"Call you later, Bak-chan." Komui says.

"Don't call me '-chan'...!" Bak yells.

The Black Order; Alter

General Cloud Nine is standing at the alter where the dead Exorcists and Finders were cremated and altered for the dead.

"My students have already cremated..." Cloud says.

Tears start to stream down on Cloud's face.

"It's just as well..." Cloud says. "Now that you've turned to ash, you no longer need to bear the cross on your shoulders..."

Behind Cloud, General Sokaro is sitting.

"They were all a bunch of loser dogs." Sokaro remarks the dead Exorcists. "I have nothing to say to them."

"General Cloud Nine. General Winters Sokaro." Komui calls.

The two General look back and see Komui standing behind them.

"The great Generals are waiting." Komui informs the Generals.

~Meanwhile~
At Anita's boat

There is a Level 3 Akuma floating above the ship.